No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
by tgwWhale
Summary: Sequel to "The Mew War." Mew Zakuro tries to do something really nice for someone she thinks she owes. But no good deed goes unpunished.
1. Chapter 1: Just a Kiss on the Cheek

_This story is a sequel to "The Mew War." While it is possible to read this story independently of its predecessor, reading "The Mew War" would greatly help in understanding why the characters behave as they do in this one._

_The story is independent of "The Second Mew War." It assumes that that story did not occur._

"_The Mew War" was set the year after the defeat of Deep Blue and immediately following the defeat of the Saint Rose Crusaders. If Momomiya Ichigo was 13 during the TMM anime series, she would have been 14 during the Mew War and would be close to 15 for this story. Minto and Lettuce are about the same age as Ichigo. Zakuro is about five years older, and Pudding about five years younger. Berry does not appear. "The Mew War" states that after the defeat of the Saint Rose Crusaders, she was "defeated" by Ichigo in a clash over who should lead the Mew Mews, and left. "The Second Mew War" states that the Mew Mews voted, and the vote was split, so Ryou and Keiichiro broke the tie by choosing Ichigo, and Berry left at that point. That would be a good way to explain how Ichigo "defeated" Berry.  
_

_Sailor Moon and her Guardian Senshi are about a year older than Ichigo and her friends. As the story is planned now, the Outer Senshi do not appear in this story. If those plans change, I will change this introduction. It is assumed that the last of the five seasons of the Sailor Moon anime ended about the same time as the Mew Mews defeated Deep Blue._

**Chapter 1: Just a Kiss on the Cheek**

Fujiwara Zakuro sighed softly. The meeting had been going on for over an hour, and it seemed to be going nowhere. She was sitting at a long table with a dozen other people, all men older than herself. On one side of the table were the filmmakers, each of them affecting a hint of rebellion with the longish hair, the open shirt, and, occasionally, the dark glasses worn indoors. On the other side were the money people: generally older, and certainly stuffier, with their three-piece suits and ties. Most of them were scowling as Ohara Saburo, the director for the project, went on and on about the need to find exactly the right actress for the role they needed to cast.

Then Fuso Tamiechi suddenly interrupted him. "Enough! Enough!" he barked with a scowl. "Look, you already have Fujiwara here. You don't have to sink another big wad of our investment capital into another big-name actress."

Ohara the director was clearly exasperated. "And _you_ look! There's such a thing as artistic integrity, you know. To cast some nobody as her antagonist is an insult to the art of filmmaking."

Fuso scowled. "We really don't care here if we fund any insults to the art of filmmaking or anyone else. Hiring Fujiwara to play the lead gives us the closest thing on this earth to an ironclad guarantee that this movie will make money, probably a lot of money."

Ohara's face turned even more sour than the old financier's. "We don't make movies," he muttered. "We make _films_, OK?"

Fuso pointed his finger, and his voice grew very low and deadly. "As long as we are paying for it, you're making a _movie_. You got that? _Films_ are artsy-fartsy crappola that lose money. Movies make money. And if you don't want to do that, we'll hire someone else that will."

Director Ohara's eyes grew very dark and hard, but he swallowed his words and said nothing. The money was talking now, and he knew that if he did not listen, he would be looking for a new job.

"I see now we have an understanding," Fuso said. "Now, why don't you just hire Monori Hatsuyo? We could afford her, and you can't say she's a nobody."

"She won't do." For the first time a woman's voice interrupted the argument, and it was quite a shock. Fujiwara Zakuro normally had little to say about such things as who played in her movies. She worked with whatever actors were hired. But now she spoke, and, oddly, they listened. "This movie requires that both the leading lady and her antagonist seem to be sympathetic characters to the audience. If I am to play a princess, and my rival is a peasant, automatically she will have the audience's sympathy. I stand a head taller than Monori-san. And the script requires us to fight. Since she already will have the audience's sympathy, if I'm so much bigger than she is, my fighting with her will make me look like some mean old ogre picking on some little innocent. I have to win that fight, and the story won't work right at all unless she's bigger than I am. If I'm smaller, I'll still garner enough sympathy so that the result of the fight will bring cheers instead of boos."

"There aren't a lot of actresses taller than you, Zakuro-san," Fuso said. "At least, not in Japan."

"We've auditioned over twenty so far," director Ohara said. "None were close to fitting the part. We have to find someone who is taller than Fujiwara, and good-looking enough so that she would be believable as her romantic rival, and athletic enough that she could look realistic in those parts of the fight scenes where we can't use a stuntwoman. And it seems as if there is no such creature out there."

"Then what would you have us do?" Fuso demanded.

"The best thing would be to hire another leading lady in place of Fujiwara – someone who isn't taller than half of the men out there," Ohara responded.

But Fuso scowled again, and his eyes once more grew dark and hard. "Fujiwara means money. Profits. Just about guaranteed. We use Fujiwara, or this project doesn't go forward – unless you can find other financing. I for one am not going to risk my hard-earned yen on anyone else."

"But there's no one to play opposite her!" Ohara muttered.

"There might be." Once again Zakuro's voice interrupted the argument. They all looked to her, and she stood before continuing. "Look, it's Friday, and it's getting late. If we could meet again on Monday, one last time, I think I might be able to find someone to play the part. Give me the weekend. Will you settle for that?"

"My time is valuable, Fujiwara-san," the financier said. "I won't appreciate having to sit through another of these meetings on Monday."

Zakuro looked him in the eye. "Just one more time," she said. "If I can't find someone to play that role by then, then this whole thing's off. Just give me that much time, please."

The heavy-set financier scowled, making his heavy jowls look even heavier. "One more time, Fujiwara. Monday, 10:00, here." It was a statement, not a question. Either they would meet at that time, or it was over. Then without another word, he rose from the table and left, with the rest of the money people filing after him.

And Fujiwara Zakuro sighed again.

* * *

The sun had set and the twilight was deepening when Zakuro parked her black sports car in front of the old house. She was in a poor, old section of Tokyo, and while Japanese cities were largely safer than large cities in other countries, there were parts that were less safe than others. And by all appearances, this was one of those less safe parts. Zakuro looked around carefully before she got out of the car.

The house was old, and very small, and shabby. It probably had been built shortly after the war, when housing was needed so badly to replace what had been burned out by the bombing, but no one had any money to pay for anything. The place clearly needed painting, and the old windows looked as if they all would admit drafts with every wind. Still, the tiny yard was neat and clean, and there were flowers in boxes under the windows. Those flowers were the only sign of color; the houses on this old street all seemed to be gray, or rather that they had faded from whatever they had been to a tired gray.

She checked the address on her GPS. It had taken the private investigator over six hours to find this address, though he could usually find an address in a few minutes. He had not charged her too much, because he had been embarrassed by his failure. Still, it had cost Zakuro money to find this place. She hoped it was the right one.

Then she left the car, and, carrying a large folder, walked up to the front door. The walkway was dirt.

She knocked on the door. There was a light inside, and she hoped someone would be home. There was no landline to this house, and the investigator had not been able to find a cell number. If no one was home, or if the PI had been wrong and other people lived here, the movie deal was probably off. She had no other ideas on how to find an actress to play opposite her in the movie.

Then the door opened. A young woman stood there, very tall, wearing a cook's apron over a shirt and jeans. Her auburn hair was pulled up in a perky high ponytail. There was more light coming from behind her than in from front of her, and so Zakuro could not clearly see the girl's eye color, but she knew it was green. For several seconds, the girl said nothing.

Then she spoke, her voice dripping with disgust. "Oh. It's you," she muttered. "What do you want?"

Zakuro was not easily flustered but she was taken aback by this. The Japanese valued manners and protocol so highly that she had been sure that she would be invited in. But the big girl blocked the door. Still, Zakuro had to say her piece. She swallowed a little, and said quietly, "Kino-san." And she bowed.

The other girl did not bow, but her eyes were getting harder by the second. "I said, what do you want?" she demanded.

Zakuro could feel anger rising in her heart. As a famous idol she was not used to being treated like this, and in any case everyone deserved to be treated with better manners. Yet once again she spoke without raising her voice. "Kino Makoto. May I come in?"

"No you may not!" the big girl answered harshly. "You are not welcome here. Please leave."

Zakuro did not move. "I thought we were at peace now," she said.

The other girl snorted openly. "Will we ever be really at peace?" she asked.

Zakuro bit her lip to keep her anger from exploding. She knew well that it had been the Sailor Senshi, not the Mew Mews, that had started the fight that led to the Mew War. She knew well that Mew Ichigo had come far closer to death than Sailor Moon had. She felt the urge to call this big fool out and settle it with her, if she wanted to fight so badly. But still, one last time, she spoke in a calm, or at least almost-calm, voice. "I have… a business proposition for you, Kino Makoto. I wish you would hear me out."

"A business proposition?" the tall girl responded. "What would the famous idol Fujiwara Zakuro have for a poor high school girl from the wrong side of the tracks?"

Zakuro paused, trying to search the girl's eyes for the truth. This girl was not acting like the Kino Makoto she remembered. "I think we should go inside," she finally said.

"No. Tell me here," the other girl said.

So Zakuro shrugged, and nodded, and said quietly, "I was hoping you'd try out for an acting job in my next movie."

"Acting? Me? Don't make me laugh!" the big girl snorted. "I don't know anything about acting. And why would anyone want me? Don't play me for a fool!"

Zakuro once again forced her rising pride and anger down. "Why you? Because we need someone taller than I am, and you are. Because we need someone who is strong and athletic for the fight scenes, and you are. Because we need someone who is young and beautiful to play my romantic rival, and you have a really cute face and a figure that would knock a truck over. And because…"

"No!" tall Makoto snorted one more time. "I don't believe a word you're saying. If you wanted someone beautiful to be an actress, you'd want Minako, even Rei. Not me! I don't know what you're trying to trap me into, but I'll have no part of it. Just get lost, leave us all alone!"

One last time the anger surged in Zakuro's heart, and this time she barely was able to keep it in. She knew she was half a breath from a fight with the big oaf, and she knew that such a fight would restart the war between the Mew Mews and the Senshi. So she sighed openly and said, "I am sorry. Most young girls would love the chance to try out for a movie part. You are different, I guess." She bowed again. "I did not know you were like this. I thought you'd be interested, at least try." She lowered her eyes. "I am so sorry, Kino Makoto." She slowly turned away and headed for the car.

But the girl's voice behind her brought her up short. "Wolf-girl!"

Zakuro turned back, half expecting to catch a magical attack in her face. The big girl was still standing in the door, framed by the light behind her. She was not looking at Zakuro, but was staring at her own feet. "Just one thing. What was the last 'because?' What was the last reason you claimed you wanted me for your movie?"

Zakuro retraced her steps until she stood again before the other girl. "I will answer that question if you answer mine first," she said, quietly but firmly. "And my question is this: why so much anger and hatred? Our war is over, Kino Makoto."

The big girl looked up. She tried to control her voice, but it rose too much. "You girls almost killed Sailor Moon, and now you think we can be friends or something? I never rest easily now, knowing that you are out there. Usagi is so naïve, she thinks that you people are really our friends now, that you would really serve her as Princess. But I'm no fool. Over and over I think that we should have killed you all then, and Usagi would be safe. We are the guardian Senshi. The reason we were born, the whole purpose of our lives, is to protect the Moon Princess, to keep her safe. And now she is not safe, because we Senshi have… failed in our duty."

Zakuro stood in silence for several seconds. "And now your answer – the last 'because.' You could have killed Ichigo. You, Kino Makoto, Sailor Jupiter the mighty and strong. I saw you there. You stood there over her as she lay helpless in a hospital bed. There was no one to protect her and she could not defend herself. Mew Ichigo, the one who defeated Sailor Moon, was helpless before you. And instead of hurting her, instead of killing the best friend I ever had, you bent down, and stroked her hair, and kissed her cheek. And because you treated her with such kindness, you, Kino Makoto, made the first step toward peace. Because you kissed her cheek, we found a way to end the fighting. Because you kissed her cheek, we all are alive today. If you had hurt her, I would have killed you then and there. I was transformed, you were not. You could not have defended yourself. Then the war would have gone on to the death. Maybe we all would have died. But we didn't, because the kindness in your heart was greater than all the anger and hatred you felt."

Makoto's head bowed, and tears began streaming down her cheeks. And Zakuro went on, "The last 'because' is this: I owe you this, Kino Makoto. I owe you for the life of my best friend, and probably for my own life, as well. And I thought this might help pay you back for that kiss on Ichigo's cheek."

And Makoto looked up, and her eyes met Zakuro's; and through her tears, she whispered, "Come in, please."

* * *

_Author's note: The financier (Fuso Tamiechi), the director (Ohara Saburo), and the named actress (Monori Hatsuyo) are all fictional and are of my invention. None of them appears in the Sailor Moon or Tokyo Mew Mew mangas or animes._


	2. Chapter 2: A Princess and a Peasant

**Chapter 2: A Princess and a Peasant**

The two girls stepped through the door and Makoto closed it behind them. The house was tiny, and dimly lit. There seemed to be only four rooms. They stood now in the front room, or living room one might call it, though it had precious little room for living. In the poor light the walls looked quite gray, but it seemed as if they had been at one time painted white. There was an old, threadbare sofa, and two old and mismatched wooden chairs. One was a rocking-chair, and it had clearly been broken and repaired several times. The floor was wooden, and it was badly worn. Though the house was old, it was not so old that a good hardwood floor should not be still in good condition. The warped floor boards betrayed the fact that they were not hardwood at all.

There was a closed door to Zakuro's left, and she was quite sure that the bedroom would be there. Ahead and to the right a door stood open, and the rich aromas that flowed out of it indicated that the kitchen was there. There had to be a bathroom, and that probably was off to the kitchen's left, behind the bedroom. That was all. The house was as tiny as a house could be.

Makoto indicated that Zakuro should sit on the worn sofa, while she herself sat in the old rocking chair. She seemed to want to say something, but did not say it.

So Zakuro had to restart the conversation. "Ah, I think you have something on the stove. Do you need to keep an eye on it?"

"No, I…" the tall girl began. Then she looked away.

Zakuro took a deep breath. There was a problem here, but there was no good way to talk about it. So she attacked it directly, in a most un-Japanese way. "Do you live alone, Makoto-san?"

The girl looked back to her guest and nodded, but then she looked away again.

"And you're only about 16 years old?" Zakuro continued.

Again the other girl nodded, and this time she did not even look at Zakuro.

Then Zakuro asked openly, "How long have you been alone?"

This time the tall girl answered, but she still would not look at Zakuro. "Since… I was 12. My parents were killed in a car accident. I was kind of a rebel, and I escaped the Child Protection Services. I'm tall and I can pass for being older than I am. I lied on job applications, got some part-time jobs, and I've been able to make enough to keep this place."

Zakuro was silent for a second. Then she said, "No wonder you're so poor."

Makoto's head spun and she stared at Zakuro, her eyes wild. Japanese manners simply did not allow Zakuro to say things like that! But Zakuro ignored her discomfort, and continued, "Look, I've already eaten. And I have to watch my figure. I'm sure that you aren't cooking enough for two, and that you don't have much extra in the house. That's OK. Just give me a tiny bit, for courtesy's sake, so that you feel that you've been a proper hostess. And eat the rest yourself."

Makoto stammered and could say nothing, so Zakuro went on, "Makoto-san, don't be ashamed that you're poor. You're making the best you can out of a tough situation. Let's go into your kitchen, and take that soup off of the stove before it overcooks. But remember this: if you choose to try for the role in the movie, and if you get it, you'll never be poor again."

Makoto's mouth opened, as if to say something, but no words came out. And Zakuro realized that she was nearly paralyzed by embarrassment over her poverty. It was sad, Zakuro thought. Maybe she could really do this girl some good. She rose from the sofa and started toward the kitchen.

"No…" Makoto began, and then grew silent again.

Zakuro turned back to her, and said, "If you're a good Japanese, you have to offer me a meal here. Let's go." And she headed toward the kitchen herself, forcing Makoto to follow along.

The kitchen was small. There was a very old stove and a small, old refrigerator, and the pot on the stove was old and dented. But the aroma that streamed from the pot was luscious. If this girl's food tasted as well as it smelled, she was a wonderful cook. Just inside the kitchen door was a tiny table with just two chairs. Zakuro went to the one on the side away from the stove, and sat down.

Makoto opened the old, sagging cupboard and took out a soup bowl. She looked at it, shook her head, and then took out another. She put this one down also, and reached for a third. Zakuro wondered: were the dishes dirty? The old house was scrupulously clean, she thought, and so likely the dishes were, too. So she guessed, and said, "Makoto-san, it tastes the same whether there's a chip out of the bowl or not."

"Stop talking down to me!" the big girl muttered, her voice betraying her embarrassment. Then she apparently found a bowl that was acceptable to her, for she ladled out some of the soup into the bowl, and brought it to Zakuro. There was a teapot on the stove, and she poured a cupful of that for her dark-haired guest as well. A spoon and napkin followed, and then she asked, "Is there anything else you need?"

Zakuro looked at the tall girl with sadness. "I thank you for this, Makoto-san. But I won't eat a bit until you sit down and eat with me. And I don't care what is proper courtesy. Get yourself some soup and tea and sit down here with me. Please!"

But Makoto turned away, and would not look at her guest. So Zakuro shrugged and got up from the table. She walked over to the stove, lifted the lid, and looked into the pot. There was almost nothing there. She shook her head. "Makoto, please be honest with me. I told you I wanted only a little. You gave me the whole pot."

"It's only leftovers," Makoto muttered. "Here I am, with a famous guest, and I have nothing but leftover soup."

Zakuro took one of the chipped bowls and poured the last of the soup into it. Then she opened the cupboard and took down a chipped teacup. She filled that and took the bowl and cup to the table. She placed the nearly-empty bowl by her chair and pushed the full one over to the other chair. "Now please," she said, "be a good hostess, and eat. I told you, I've already eaten. I'm just having a little, for the sake of good manners."

Makoto would not sit, but stood with her back to the table. So Zakuro sat again, took a sip of the tea, and tried the soup. Then she said softly, "The tea is good, but the soup is wonderful. Now please, I beg you, eat your soup before it gets cold. Please!"

Makoto turned around, and finally sat, and began eating. Zakuro returned to her own bowl. She knew she had to keep the conversation going, so while she ate, she spoke: "Makoto, do you want to try for the part?"

The tall girl stopped eating and put her spoon down. "I don't know anything about acting. I don't know anything about any of this. I don't know where to go, I don't know what to say, I don't think I have any talent..."

"You do have a good strong voice," Zakuro responded. "It isn't… squeaky. So many young Japanese girls have squeaky voices. As for the talent part, we'll try to check that tonight. This folder I have here has a copy of the script. We'll try a scene here, to see if you can manage it."

Makoto looked at Zakuro with interest for the first time. "What's the story about?" she asked.

Zakuro looked up from her food as well. "It's one of those historical dramas, set in medieval Japan, with a lot of kung-fu fighting and that sort of thing. The action scenes attract the boys, and they throw in a love triangle to attract the girls." Zakuro was silent for a second while she searched the eyes of the other girl. Seeing interest there, she continued, "The story concerns a princess of the emperor's extended family, who falls for a brave, heroic Samurai warrior. After the battle where the Samurai saves Japan – of course – he returns to his home in the provinces. The princess disobeys all the rules and chases after him. When she finds him again 'way down in Kyushu, she finds another problem: he has a secret girlfriend there, a peasant girl. Now as a Samurai he isn't supposed to marry a peasant – she's too far below him. Maybe he could use her and forget her, but not marry her. But they're in love. Eventually, the princess and the peasant-girl clash, and then they fight, of course. I play the princess; your part, if you get it, is the peasant. There are a lot of fantasy elements – dragons and such – in the story also, of course."

"And who wins the fight?" Makoto asked. The story was simple and very formulaic, but she clearly was interested.

"I do, of course," Zakuro said.

Makoto's mouth twisted. "Of course," she muttered. "You wouldn't ever let me beat you."

Zakuro's mouth also twisted into a smile. "I win the fight. But you win the guy. The hero spurns the princess and chooses the girl he has loved all his life, even though he knows that the princess can demand his head if she wants to. It's one of those sentimental endings that Japanese love. You end up in the hero's arms. Your last scene is a big kiss with the hero. I end up alone outside in the rain, in tears and shame, the great and beautiful princess rejected in favor of a peasant girl."

"That doesn't really make much sense," Makoto said.

"Well, we could put in a scene where the hero chooses the peasant girl because she makes the best soup in Japan," Zakuro said. "There are a lot of guys out there looking for a gal that can cook like this." She pushed her empty bowl away.

For the first time, Makoto smiled broadly. Then the smile left her face. "But I don't know anything about this movie stuff. How do I even try out?"

Zakuro said, "I'll take care of that stuff for you. We'll have your audition Monday morning at nine. If you pass, we have a meeting at ten, and the final decision will be made there. I'll make sure that they treat you fairly in your contract – my lawyer will make sure that they give you a good one. You'll be paid well."

"How much?" Makoto asked.

Zakuro shrugged. "I don't know for sure. You're new, so you get a much smaller contract than a well-known actress would get. But you'd have a big role in the movie, and so that pays well; and you'd get paid extra if you do your own action scenes." She thought for a second. "I'd make sure that you'd get paid at least ten million yen up front, and also get a piece of the action."

Makoto's eyes popped wide open when she heard the amount. Then she asked, "A piece of… what?"

"A piece of the action – that means a share in the profits, if any are made. I always demand that for myself, and I'll make sure some goes to you, too." Zakuro took a breath. "You never know for sure if a movie will be popular and make a profit. But this is a pretty good script, as this kind of stuff goes. They can make this kind of thing on a pretty low budget, except for the graphics when they make the dragons and such. This thing should make money."

Makoto squirmed uneasily as she asked the next question. "If I got the part… would I have to, uh, take my… clothes off?"

Zakuro sighed again. "No, I don't make those kinds of movies. There'll be a lot of fan service in this thing – when we have our big fight, for example, well, a lot is going to come off before it ends. But both top and bottom will stay covered, if you take my meaning."

Makoto sat silently for a while, and then she said, "I can't go on Monday. I have school."

Zakuro smiled. "You'll have to call in Monday. And if you get the part, you'll be out of school for a while. The studio will have to provide you with a tutor. When the filming's done, you can go back to school, if you want to."

"And why wouldn't I want to?" the big girl asked.

Zakuro smiled again. "Because after the movie comes out, you'll be a famous star, and everybody will be staring at you and all of the boys will be asking you out and all of the girls will be jealous." She watched as Makoto smiled broadly, and then asked, "Well, do you want to try it?"

"I suppose I should. You went through so much trouble for me…" Makoto's voice trailed off, and now Zakuro's smile became broad. The girl really wanted to try it, but she was still playing hard-to-get.

So Zakuro took the script and opened it to a marked page, and said, "This is the big confrontation scene, right before we fight. This is the scene we'll use for your audition." And so they began going over it, reading their lines back and forth.

This went on for at least an hour before Zakuro said, "Your voice is loud, and clear. And you seem to have knack for looking at least a little natural as you say them. But you have to show more emotion. You have to feel your lines, and make the audience feel them. Think! Did you ever have a boyfriend?" The tall girl nodded, and Zakuro continued, "OK! Now the famous actress Fujiwara Zakuro comes into your school and tries to make time with your boyfriend. Feel the hurt! Feel the anger! Now, say your lines, and I'll say mine!"

"_I love him! You stay away from him!"_

"_You can't have him anyway! He's Samurai, and you're just a… peasant."_

"_I've loved him all my life, and he loves me. That's all that matters!"_

"_All that matters? We'll see about that, when he can have a princess!"_

"_A [F-bombing] Princess? You're hardly even a woman, so skinny and flat-chested..."_

And back and forth they went, their voices rising to ugly shrieks, their words growing ever more coarse until it was time for them to come to blows. And when it was done, Zakuro smiled, and said, "You do that Monday, and I'll see that you get the part. You're doing it more than well enough, and already you have the lines down for that scene. You really can do it naturally."

Makoto smiled back, and then dropped her eyes. "I was just remembering what happened with my boyfriend. He was older than I was, and an older girl stole him from me."

"That's the idea. Make it real," Zakuro said. "Ah, by the way, what happened with that boyfriend?"

Makoto stared at her own feet and would not look at Zakuro. "I… uh… confronted that other girl. We had a screaming fight, and then I… uh… roughed her up a bit. Got kicked out of that school for that incident. Been kicked out of two schools, now."

"Odd, for a magical girl hero," Zakuro said. "A magical girl hero with a kind heart, no less. Still, it will help you get the part. I'll pick you up here on Monday morning at 6:00 and take you to the studio."

"What should I wear?" Makoto asked.

Zakuro looked the big girl over. "Show off your assets. Wear a miniskirt to show off those long legs – I saw you enough in your Sailor outfit, and you've got great legs. Try a tank top, a tight one, to show off your chest. They'll like that. Normal makeup, normal hair. OK?"

"OK," Makoto answered. Then she reached out her hand. "And… thank you, Fujiwara Zakuro. Thank you for offering this to me, and… thank you for your patience. I tried so hard to run you off…"

"You're welcome," Zakuro said. "Remember, I owe you this, and a lot more than this. I'll see you Monday. And be ready at 6:00 sharp! Don't sleep in."

"I will be," Makoto responded. "Just who do you think I am, Usagi?"

And Zakuro shook her head, and smiled.

* * *

_Author's note: I apologize that this story is starting so slowly. The contents of this chapter could have been covered with a few sentences. However, I thought it important to establish the relationship between Zakuro and Makoto, and also to show just how hard Zakuro is trying to do something really nice for Makoto._

_I promise that the "action" will really start the next chapter, if anyone is still reading this story.  
_

_And yes, I am aware that "kung-fu" is a Chinese, not Japanese, form of martial arts. But if I had used the term "martial arts fighting," people might think of MMA and other actual fighting sports. The term "kung-fu fighting" seems to generally be used for the obviously overdone and fake fighting done in east Asian movies._

_By the way, ten million Japanese yen is worth about 98,000 U.S. dollars at the current rate of exchange.  
_

_tgwWhale_


	3. Chapter 3: A Shocking Discovery

**Chapter 3: A Shocking Discovery**

They were at Usagi's house that afternoon. It was summer, and with school not in session, Usagi, Rei and Ami were enjoying themselves. Mostly, Rei was enjoying herself by teasing Usagi, who tended to enjoy the attention even when she was being teased. Ami mostly sat and smiled, as she always did during the playful bantering between her friends. Minako was not with them, because of her waitress job, but she had promised to come a little later.

After a while the silly teasing died down, and after a few seconds of silence, Usagi asked, "Hey, did either of you hear from Mako-chan lately?"

"No," Rei said. "We just heard that she had that new job, and she hasn't been around since. That was last winter some time, wasn't it? I hardly saw her after that. The last time was at least a month ago. I asked her what the new job was, and she just said that we'd find out soon enough."

"I haven't heard from her, either," Ami said in a soft voice with a hint of concern creeping into it.

"Not me, either," Usagi said. "It's as if she's dumped us all."

"Maybe she's really busy at her new job," Ami said hopefully. "Remember, she lives alone; she needs the money to get by."

"But she can't be working all day, every day, every night," Rei said. "Maybe she's embarrassed over what she does. Or maybe it's illegal or something."

"Illegal? Makoto? No way," Ami responded. "But she could be in trouble."

"Maybe she's in jail," Usagi said with a smile. She was still in the teasing mood.

But Ami did not take it as teasing. "Don't laugh about that," she said. "You know Makoto's temper, how it used to get her into fights. Maybe she hurt someone, and got arrested. And then they'd find out she was living alone, and she'd end up with child protection, even if she didn't have to go to jail."

"If she ended up with child protection, then she'd be able to call us," Rei said. "No, I think she's in jail, or some other kind of trouble."

Usagi got up from her chair and turned away from the other two. "I am… worried a little about her," she muttered. "I've tried to call her a bunch of times, and mostly her phone is turned off. When it's on, I just get voice mail. She hasn't called back in a long time."

"Maybe she's just gotten stuck-up," Rei said. "I mean that. Maybe she's running with another crowd and thinks she's too good for the likes of us."

Ami scowled. "But she's still Senshi. She's still bound to protect Sailor Moon. She can't leave us completely."

"We haven't had any Sailor action since we fought those Mew Mews," Rei said. "Maybe if we needed her, she'd show up."

"But how would we even tell her we needed her?" Usagi wondered. "She won't answer her phone, and when I get a text from her, it never really says anything."

Ami's mouth twisted into a half-smile. "I know what Minako would say – she's probably in love. A new boyfriend, and she's with him all the time. No time for us!"

"Makoto always was boy-crazy," Rei said. "But boys were mostly afraid of her. Maybe she found one that wasn't. Maybe…"

Just then the doorbell rang, and even before Usagi could rise to open the door, it flew open, and Minako came charging in, her blonde hair trailing behind her. She was quite breathless, and quite agitated. In her hands she carried a tablet computer, quite a large one.

She didn't even greet them. "Hey! You gotta see this!" she almost shouted, breathlessly.

"So you got a new computer? So what!" Rei said disdainfully.

"Not the computer! What's on it!" Minako half-shouted. Her fingers danced over the touch-screen. "Look what I found on the internet!"

The other girls crowded around as they all tried to get a good view of the small screen. A video, quite obviously a movie trailer, began to play. They watched bits of scenes of the popular young actor Ota Hideki in kung-fu fights, and dragon fights, and fights in general.

"Ooh! That Hideki's a hunk, isn't he?" Rei sighed. Indeed he was; even Ami stared at him in those scenes.

But Minako said, "Just wait! Keep watching!" And then there was a kissing scene, with their heartthrob kissing a tall, slender actress with straight dark hair. Their lips parted, and their faces pulled back; and Minako stopped the video.

"Get your eyes off of Hideki-san, and stop drooling, and look at the girl!" Minako demanded. "Look familiar?"

They all did look, and then, one by one, they gasped. And Ami gasped, "It's… it's that Mew Mew! That Zakuro! I'm sure of it!"

"Damn!" Rei muttered. "Her weapon was called… Zakuro spear. Yeah, that's her. The actress, the famous idol Fujiwara Zakuro, is that freaking wolf-creature!"

Usagi always took a while to catch on to things, but now she was catching up to the others. "You know, I always liked Fujiara Zakuro. I've seen her in several movies, and in a few music videos. Who'd have known she was a monster?"

"Not a monster, a magical girl," Ami corrected her. "OK, that's cool. And I guess we all would like to have a kissing scene or ten with Hideki." She had forgotten herself, but the other girls noticed: always-perfect Ami had called the idol by his first name only, with no honorific. Even the studious Ami's heart apparently beat faster when he was in sight. "But… what's the big deal? It's interesting, I mean. We've all met – if you can say that – Fujiwara Zakuro. She's popular now, but so what? Tomorrow there'll be a new idol, and people will forget that tall, skinny geek." Again, Ami's words betrayed feelings that perfect Ami would not normally show, that she felt jealousy towards the tall actress.

"It gets worse!" Minako growled. "Just keep watching!" And her finger touched the "play" button.

A scene or two later, there were images of the tall Zakuro in a fight with another tall actress. A lot of their clothes had been torn away, and Rei sneered, "Oh, kinky! So we get some fan service for the boys! Well, we all should have known that that big geek was never a serious actress, just set decoration. What did you expect? I mean…"

"Just watch!" Minako all but shouted. She had stopped the video, and now she was advancing it, a few frames at a time. Finally she stopped it completely, and pointed to the actress that was fighting with Zakuro. Her face was visible on the screen now. "Look! Look at her!"

And one by one they gasped; and it was Usagi who seemed to catch on first: "Mako-chan!"

Rei gasped in reply, "It couldn't be. It just couldn't!"

"No?" Minako said. "Just look at her. She's taller than that Zakuro geek, and her hair is auburn. How many Japanese girls are that tall, and have auburn hair? Who else could it be? Look at her face! It's that Makoto!"

Rei's voice rose. "You mean that Makoto has been making a movie for all this time, and she never told us? That takes some nerve! And here we thought that she was our… _friend!"_ She sneered the last word.

"But she is our friend!" Usagi objected. "And I think it's cool that our friend got into a movie!"

Minako turned suddenly to Usagi, looking as if Usagi had just spit in her face. "What?" she half-screamed. "Don't you get it? She turned her back on us, won't even talk to us. We're not good enough for her now! Now she's a big-shot movie star, and thinks she's far above us!"

Usagi's mouth dropped open. She could not understand why Minako was so agitated.

Ami had seen Minako and Usagi come into conflict during the Mew War, and she did not want it to happen again. So, trying to change the topic a little, she said, "I wonder: how did Makoto get into a movie? She never was into acting or anything like that. You would think that if she got into anything, it would have been sports, like skating or something. She was really good at that."

"Yeah," Rei said, still sneering a bit. "You'd think she'd be something like a lady wrestler, or something else weird like that. I mean, who would want to watch a movie with that big oaf in it?"

"Well, _I_ want to watch it, and when it comes out, I'll be going," Usagi said, quite innocently.

"You'll probably be the only one there," Rei came back. "I mean… who would spend good money to go watch Makoto? I'll bet she can't act a lick!"

Then Minako broke in. "You know, I bet I know how she got the part. Slept her way to the top! After all, she never spent any time learning to do acting or singing or anything else on stage, never put in any effort or paid any dues. No one could say she deserved the chance. But if you sleep with the right people, you can get your '15 minutes of fame.' And so now she'll get it, and after the movie bombs, people will forget her."

Ami's eyes popped wide open when she heard that. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could start, Usagi spoke. "Well, I'm going to that movie, and I'm glad Mako-chan is in it."

"And you'll be the only one there, unless you drag Mamoru-san in there with you," Rei came back. "And knowing you two, you'll miss the whole thing, because you'll be making out by the end of the opening credits. Or you'd better be, because I'm sure that Mamoru would walk out of such a stupid thing if you didn't."

"You won't change my mind," Usagi said in a defiant tone. "I'm going. So what's the name of this movie, and when does it come out?"

Minako, exasperated, shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know just when it's coming out – the website didn't say. The name of the thing is _The Samurai's Kiss._ Just watch for ads about the next Fujiwara Zakuro movie. They won't waste their time advertising about Makoto, because no one with a brain would care about that."

Happily, Usagi did not catch the insult; but Rei said, "No one with a brain would ever go to such a stupid movie."

"So I don't have a brain?" Usagi barked. She had caught the insult the second time.

Rei just smirked, thinking she had won the point. But Usagi got right in her face, and her eyes were wild. Soon the insults were flying back and forth, and the insults grew more and more loud, more and more crude – and more and more childish. And Minako came and stood next to Ami, and spoke to her: "They're at it again! Man, this gets tiring at times! Sometimes I wonder why I ever put up with such childishness!"

And Ami looked at the blonde Senshi of love, and half-whispered, "Just don't you leave her again!"

Minako in turn stared at Ami, and there was anger in her eyes. "Don't worry about that, brain-girl. I learned my lesson during Mew War. Somebody's got to watch over her when Mamoru's not around, or she'll end up in such a mess that we'll never get her out of it."

Ami shook her head, but said nothing. And so Minako said, "I think I'll be going now. I'll just let those two scream for a while by themselves. I have better things to do." And she took up her tablet computer, and left.

Ani shook her head. At least Minako was not leaving the Sailor Senshi this time; but it always disturbed her when there were bad feelings between any of the Senshi. Behind her, Usagi and Rei were still screaming at each other. But Ami did not really hear them at all. She just stared at the now-closed door in sadness. 

* * *

_Author's note: Reviews are always appreciated, even if you think this thing suxx. They motivate me (and other writers) to keep writing!_

_- tgwWhale_


	4. Chapter 4: Party Time!

**Chapter 4: Party Time!**

All of the Senshi except Makoto were at the shrine a few afternoons later. It was a warm, humid, lazy afternoon, almost too warm to do anything. They were lounging around the floor in various forms of scanty dress, mostly halter tops and short-shorts, with bare feet; Ami was the exception in that she sat in a chair; her white shorts were a bit longer and less tight than the others', and she wore a dark-blue tank-top instead of a halter. They were talking quietly; it was too hot to raise their voices.

"We could go shopping down at the new Japan Mart," Rei said. Rei's halter and ultra-tight shorts were both bright red. "It's all air-conditioned there, and there's a couple of restaurants close enough."

But Usagi, in white shorts and red halter, shook her head. "No, no way. I'm, ah, y'know, a bit short. But if you guys could lend me a few yen, then maybe…"

"No, no way to that!" Rei chuckled. "I don't like lending to those that never pay it back, and you, Usagi… You still owe me from back before we fought Queen Beryl."

"Yeah, Usagi, you owe me too, come to think of it," Minako said. The blonde's garish yellow halter and orange shorts were the tightest and skimpiest of all. "You know, you should have gotten a job this summer. Then maybe you'd have a few coins in your purse."

"I did get a job!" Usagi objected. "As a waitress. Only…"

"Only you got fired the first day for being late!" Rei said, her lips twisted in a smirk.

"Well…" Usagi could not come up with a comeback for that one, because it happened to be true. So she went on, "Well, I suppose we could go down to the pool in Kumano Park. It's a good day for swimming, so hot."

"I think it'll be awfully crowded down there," Ami objected. Ami did tend to be more modest than the other Senshi, and anyway her figure was not as shapely as the others', so she was not a big fan of hanging around the public pools in a swimsuit.

"Awfully crowded – with boys!" Minako said. "Maybe some hotties, on a hot day like this one."

"And it won't be too crowded," Rei said. "At least that oversized geek Makoto won't be filling up half of the pool."

"Yeah!" Minako came back. "And she won't be there to scare the boys off, either, like she always does."

"Like she does when she doesn't wear a bag over her head, anyway," Usagi chipped in. Usagi did not really like these now-mandatory daily rip-Makoto sessions, but she always wanted to be part of the gang, so she threw in her own silly insult.

"Good shot, Usagi!" Minako said. "Yeah, without that big oaf to scare them off, the boys will be lined up for a look at the Senshi of Love. I got this new bikini, and when I'm in that…"

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Hey, Ami, you're the only one sitting up. You go get it," Rei said. Ami did get up and headed for the door, and Rei continued, "You know, for that kind of stuff we should have Makoto around. She's no good for anything else…"

The door opened, and they heard Ami's voice: "Mako-chan!"

And seconds later the big girl strode in, a broad smile on her face, her auburn ponytail bouncing behind her. Yet quickly the smile faded; for only Usagi smiled in return. Rei's and Minako's faces were dark and sour; Ami's eyes were troubled and doubtful.

Makoto turned about. The girls rose now to meet her, but only Usagi extended her hands in greeting. Makoto took a step back. "Hey, is something wrong?" she asked.

There was no answer, only harsh silence. "Is someone hurt? Are we under attack? Enemies? What's going on? If there's trouble, why didn't someone tell me?" Makoto asked, stumbling over the words.

"How could we tell you, since you won't answer any of our calls?" Rei muttered in a low and bitter voice.

Makoto's eyes began shifting from one of the other girls to the next, betraying her unease, even panic. "I was busy, OK? My job…"

"Why did you hide it from us?" Minako demanded, advancing toward the big girl.

"I… I…" Makoto seemingly could not respond. Her gaze shifted to the door. "I guess I'm not wanted around here any more," she mumbled. She began to turn away.

But Usagi stepped up and got into her face, her clear blue eyes gazing into Makoto's green ones. "Sailor Jupiter!" she said, her voice strong – particularly for Usagi.

Makoto stopped turning and stood silently. Her breaths were rapid and shallow.

And Usagi spoke again: "Sailor Jupiter, your Princess asks you: why didn't you tell us?"

"Tell you… what?" Makoto gasped. She had always been faithful to the Moon Princess, but now she was frightened.

Then, in a calm voice, Ami spoke. "Mako-chan, we saw the trailer. Minako found it online. We know about the movie. We know that you've been with that Zakuro creature instead of us. We just want to know why you didn't tell us."

Makoto's head jerked away from Sailor Moon's gaze to Ami, but then jerked back again. "I… I was afraid, OK? So I kept it a secret."

"Afraid of what?" Usagi asked, utterly without understanding.

"Afraid that we'd find out that you had turned against us, and joined the Mew Mews?" Rei demanded, quite harshly.

For the first time, the fear in Makoto's eyes turned to anger. "I'm not the one who ever turned her back on our Princess… _Sailor Mars!"_ She emphasized the name, and sneered a little as she said the words.

Anger exploded in Rei's eyes. "How dare you…"

"Rei! Please!" Ami begged. She did not want the Senshi to begin fighting again. Then she turned to Makoto. "But understand, Mako-chan, we were worried. That should be a great thing, that you got into a movie, but you didn't tell us. You never would talk to any of us, and when we saw that you were with that Mew Mew bitch…" Ami's extreme agitation was betrayed by the foul language, which she otherwise never used.

And Usagi said, "Sailor Jupiter, I ask you again: why wouldn't you tell us?"

One more time the tall girl looked around the room, seeing demanding eyes in each of the others. And they she lowered her eyes, and spoke so softly that the others hardly heard her. "I was… afraid. OK?"

"Afraid of what?" Minako demanded.

Makoto was silent for several seconds, apparently trying to formulate an answer that was true but did not say too much. "I never was an actress, never tried to be. I didn't know if I could do it. I was afraid…of failing, and all of you laughing at me. So I kept it quiet. And I really have been tied up, time-wise. I missed most of the last school term – they gave me a tutor – while we were filming. I just wasn't around, OK?" Her voice was becoming quite desperate.

"If you were so afraid of it all, why did you try out for a movie part?" Minako asked, quite loudly. "And how did someone like you get an audition? You have to pay your dues to get one of those!"

Makoto's eyes blazed momentarily and she shot a deadly look at the blonde before she lowered her eyes again. When her voice came, though, it was very subdued. "I… didn't apply. I suppose we'd all like to be stars, idols. But no, that was always you dream, Minako. And Rei's maybe." She glanced toward the raven-haired girl before she dropped her eyes again. "No, I didn't try out for the movie. What happened was… Zakuro-san came to my house, and she offered me a try-out."

"Why? Why you?" Minako demanded.

"She said… they needed someone taller than she is, and they couldn't find one, at least not one they could hire at a reasonable price. And she said that I was athletic enough, and pretty enough for the part." At the last line, Minako snorted quietly. She had not wanted it to be audible, but it was. Makoto looked at her and then again dropped her eyes. "Zakuro-san met me during the Mew War, in the hospital that first night, and…" Her voice trailed away. She did not want to talk about the other reason Zakuro had given her.

"You've never acted in anything," Rei said. Her voice was not as harsh as Minako's had been. "How did you manage to pass the audition?"

Makoto paused before she spoke again. Now she looked up and answered Rei directly. "Zakuro-san. She coached me, taught me how to say my lines, how to act the part. She took care that I got a decent and fair contract. She was really behind the whole thing."

"Well, it's Zakuro-this and Zakuro-that!" Rei all but hissed. "I suppose you're too good for the rest of us now! What's so great about this Zakuro anyway?"

"She's my friend," Makoto said quietly. "My precious friend."

"The likes of Fujiwara Zakuro don't normally hang around with the likes of us – unless they can get something out of it. Just what did she get in return?" Minako demanded. Her voice was still harsh.

Makoto shook her head. "Nothing. I gave her nothing. It was just a carry-over from… the war."

"Makes you wonder whose side you were on," Minako said, with more than a little bitterness.

That insult was too much for Makoto, and her voice rose. "I stood by Sailor Moon right to the end," she said. "Not like some people…"

Minako's eyes blazed. She was still quite ashamed of her behavior during the war and did not like being reminded of it. But before she came back at Makoto, Ami's voice rose: "Please, you two. Please!"

Makoto apparently had taken all she could take of the cold reception she had received, and turned toward the door. "Well, I guess I just don't belong here any more. Sorry, girls." She walked toward the door. "I guess… you won't be wanting these, then." She held up a small purse she carried in her hand.

"And what's in there?" Usagi asked. The childish Usagi always loved to get presents, any kind, from anyone.

Makoto turned to Usagi, though her back was still toward the others. "Oh. I was going to give you each one of these." She opened the purse, and took out four small envelopes. Each one was addressed to one of the girls. "It's just a party invitation, but I suppose you don't want to go there now."

"Party?" Usagi bubbled, her eyes glowing. "Will there be food there?"

A small smile twisted Makoto's lips. The guileless Usagi would never grow up! "Here, Usagi, there's one for you, even if the others don't want one. And yes – there will be lots of food."

Usagi tore her envelope open, tearing the invitation inside as she did so. "Ooh, at the Tokyo Hilton! And two weeks from Saturday! Can I go? Can I go?" She was making a fool out of herself, and Makoto smiled again. But then Usagi's smile disappeared, and a puzzled look came over her face. "But what is a… p-r-e-m-i-e-r-e party?" She spelled the word out, for it was written in English characters, and Usagi could not read English. In fact, she hardly knew the letters.

"Premiere party?" Rei gasped. "For the movie?"

Makoto nodded, and said, "Yes. The invitation is for you to be my guests at the official premiere showing of the movie – well, I suppose I should call it the 'film,' but Zakuro-san always just calls it a movie. Then after the movie, you could go to the premiere party."

Minako gasped even louder than Rei had. "The official premiere party for the movie? Will the actors all be there? The director, the producer…"

"Of course," Makoto said, smiling broadly now. "We're all really too young for that sort of thing, but I don't have any family, and you are my best friends – or I thought you were." She looked gloatingly at Minako.

Then Usagi blurted out, "Will… will _Ota Hideki-sama_ be there?"

"Of course," Makoto said. She turned now to the other girls. "You know, Hideki's a _really good_ kisser." She winked, and smiled as the other girls' mouths dropped open – even Ami's.

Then she turned back to Usagi. "Here, give these to the other girls," she said; and she pressed the envelopes into Usagi's hand.. "I hope you all can come. Formal dress, girls. Not too fuddy-duddy, Ami-chan! And Rei, _try_ not to look too much like a cheap hooker!" She knew that the girls were desperate to go to this party, and she could take all the shots at them that she wanted.

"Thank you!" Usagi and Ami all but shouted together; and even Rei and Minako mumbled the words. Then she slipped through the door and was gone.

And Minako said in a thoroughly catty tone, "Well! Our Makoto thinks she's really hot stuff, doesn't she?"

But Ami said, "She got… to kiss _Ota Hideki!"_ And she smiled, and a dreamy look filled her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5: The Smurai's Kiss

**Chapter 5: The Samurai's Kiss**

The night of the big premiere they had to wait in front of Usagi's house, of course. They were all in a fancy black stretch limo, and all dressed in their very best. Makoto was the star of the night, and she was dressed for it: her long dress of white, trimmed with her Sailor Jupiter color of dark green, was tight about her hips to reveal her taut body and shapely curves. The front of it was cut quite low, revealing that of all the Senshi, she was the best-endowed there. Yet her auburn hair was still pulled up in her standard high ponytail. Minako, as the Senshi of Beauty, had proclaimed that to be gauche; but Makoto had told them that Zakuro herself had suggested that, for the perky ponytail would become a sort of trademark for Makoto.

Minako herself was dressed in a bright gown of golden-orange, with yellow trim. It fit her Sailor Venus colors, but it was not a good match for her blonde hair. It was a bit too tight, and the front was more than a bit too low, slashed almost to her navel. The whole outfit was garish and loud, and made her look more than a bit cheap and loose, but Minako did not care: she was sure that in that dress she would be "discovered" that evening. Her long blonde hair was piled up on her head in a classy 'do that did not really go well with the dress.

Rei's long hair was down, not up, falling in waves and cascades over her shoulders and down her back. Her dress was red, of course, as were her shoes. The dress was less tight than Minako's, but actually more flattering, and the front, if not cut as low as Minako's, was cut low enough to reveal her assets. Rei, too, secretly dreamt of being discovered. In that red outfit she would certainly at least be noticed.

And then there was Ami. Her dress was pale blue, and decorated with sparkles. The front was high, up to her neck in the middle, but the shoulders and back were bare. Below her waist the dress was not tight like Minako's, but fell loosely to the floor. Around her neck she wore a shining silver necklace set with large, deep-blue stones that seemed to be sapphires, and probably were. Her hair was up, like Minako's, though not as extreme. In all, she was the picture of elegance, especially when compared to Rei and Minako.

But all four of the girls were getting a little nervous. The premiere of the movie was at eight o'clock and they wanted to be there in plenty of time. They didn't mind being in the limo, of course; Zakuro had arranged it for them, and they had never had a limo before, so it made them feel elegant and important. But as always, Usagi was late. After fifteen minutes of waiting, they had just decided to send Ami in to get her, when the front door opened, and she came out.

They had all seen her dress before: white, flowing, utterly elegant, quite open on the top. It was her Princess Serenity dress, and it is she could outshine all of them. In that outfit even her ridiculously long pigtails looked elegant. She glided toward to limo, and the driver went out and opened the door for her; and she slipped in.

"Now, _nobody's_ going to notice you tonight, Makoto!" Rei said, smiling.

But Minako said, "Why did you wear that? It makes you look like you're in a fairy-tale costume!"

Minako might have meant it as a put-down, but Usagi would not be put down. "Well, I didn't have anything that was really right, and I couldn't afford anything new, so I tried this, and I tried that, and nothing worked. So I just transformed. And that does my makeup for me, too, you know."

"You really transformed?" Rei asked, shaking her head. "I would have thought that you would save transforming for more serious times." She smiled wickedly. "Maybe you'll turn back into a pumpkin when the clock strikes midnight?"

Usagi looked befuddled. "A pumpkin? How…" Then she smiled, as she caught on to the joke. "Oh, like Cinderella's coach. No. And my glass slipper won't come off, either." But then her face fell. "But I just wish that Mamo-chan could be coming, too!"

Makoto shrugged. "I told you, he could have. But you would be the only one of us with a date, and so you not have really fit with the rest of us."

"I suppose," Usagi said, half to herself. "But I wanted to be seen with Mamo-chan, he's so handsome…" Her voice trailed off and the limousine headed off down the street, heading for the theater.

* * *

They actually arrived at the theater in plenty of time for the premiere showing. The limo pulled up in front, and they all got out, each feeling excited, but more than a little fearful. There were photographers, and there were several critics and other media-types around. The flash bulbs were popping, and none of them but Minako really enjoyed that. Still, they walked without incident to the door of the theater. Or rather, the four Guardian Senshi walked; Usagi positively glided across the sidewalk in through the door, shining with all of the glory of the Princess Serenity of the Moon. And of the five girls, it was Usagi that caught everyone's eye.

In the lobby they found Fujiwara Zakuro. She was wearing a sequined black gown, more revealing than Ami's, though far less so than Minako's, or even Rei's. Her dark hair was worn up, as Minako's was, though she had a lot less of it than Minako had. Next to her stood a tall, handsome young man with long dark hair that fell in a ponytail down his back.

Makoto led the girls up to the dark-haired idol, and bowing before her, greeted her. "Fujiwara-sama," she said. Then raising her head, she kissed her on the cheek.

"Greetings, Makoto-san," Zakuro said. "But I thought we were friends. You don't have to overdo things to impress the media fools or your friends with you." She watched Makoto's face fall; and then she kissed the big girl on the cheek, and whispered, "Ignore me if I bother you. This is your night, your hour. Enjoy it! And be yourself – except don't beat up any of those nosy paparazzi!"

Then she turned to the other girls, and said, "This is Akasaka Keiichiro." He bowed and greeted the girls.

"That's the guy from that Mew Mew place, isn't it?" Usagi asked, a little too loudly. "He's really hot in a tuxedo!"

"Yes, that's the one," Ami whispered back. "But have you already forgotten your precious Mamo-chan?"

"Well… ah… I guess he reminds me of Mamo-chan in the tuxedo," Usagi mumbled. Usagi very much loved Chiba Mamoru, but that had never kept her from noticing other handsome men – or, in the case where she met Sailor Uranus, a woman pretending to be a handsome man.

So each of the girls formally greeted the famous Zakuro, and her handsome companion; and then they filed into the theater itself. All of them did so, except for Usagi; she insisted on getting popcorn and a soda. This foolish behavior nearly set Rei's temper off, but Makoto took her by the shoulder, and said, quite grimly, "Don't start something, Rei. Please! Just let Usagi be Usagi, and you take care of yourself."

They settled into theater seats, and, to their surprise, Fujiwara Zakuro sat down next to them. She had to move over a seat, of course, when Usagi came in late, with a huge bucket of popcorn. This did not seem to bother the idol at all; she was very gracious as she moved over. The Senshi were very embarrassed by Usagi's behavior – munching popcorn at such a classy and formal occasion; but that did not seem to bother Zakuro either. She did, however, help herself to some of the popcorn.

Then the lights went out, and the film came on: a story of old Japan, where Ota Hideki's character defeated the emperor's enemies, saved the capital of Kyoto, and romanced the Princess played by Zakuro, all in the first half-hour, it seemed. Then the story changed, as the hero left Kyoto and returned to Kyushu, saving several damsels in distress and slaying the occasional dragon or ogre on the way. And the love-smitten Zakuro-princess pursued him, running away from home and having all kinds of adventures herself. And in all of this, they had not seen a bit of Makoto.

There was an intermission, and Usagi had of course gone for more popcorn. She had also gotten three sodas, one for herself, and one each for Zakuro and her companion. And being Usagi, she of course spilled the sodas in the lobby. But the ushers said they would clean it up for her, and they got her new cups of soda; and apparently none of them noticed that Usagi's gown had magically stayed clean through it all.

Then came the second half of the movie – a shorter half, to be sure – where the hero finally returned to his own home down in Kyushu. And there he came upon a peasant girl working in a rice paddy, and when she stood she was very tall, and beautiful; and she had auburn hair pulled up in a most un-Japanese but very perky high ponytail. They raced into each other's arms, and kissed long and deeply; and watching this Ami sighed audibly. The peasant-girl then hung her head, and said that she was unworthy, and as a peasant could not love a Samurai. But he denied this, and kissed her again; and he told her that he could love no other.

But this was a lie, for he had felt love for a tall, dark-haired Princess of the Emperor's family; and after many adventures she found him again. And she was rich, and classy, and beautiful, and Makoto's character seemed so insignificant when compared to her. But the peasant had as much spirit as the girl who played her, and she confronted the princess; their words became hard, and the princess challenged her to a duel. The princess came to the duel bearing a naginata, but the peasant had no weapon at all. So the princess threw down her pole-arm, and they fought hand-to-hand. The fight was long and hard, by the end both of the girls had nearly all of their clothes torn off, except for a few scraps that covered certain strategic areas. Zakuro had promised there would be fan-service, and indeed there was much of it in the movie; and the girls marveled that Makoto's body looked as toned and taut as the famous idol's own, and was noticeably more curvy.

The peasant was tall, and strong, and quick; but the princess had been well-schooled in the martial arts, and in the end she triumphed, laying the poor girl in the dust. Then the princess took up her weapon to slay, but she said, "For his sake, who once loved you, I will spare you. Now begone and trouble him no more!" And she thought she had won as she walked away.

But in the final scene, as the hero was hurrying along a dirt path to try to stay ahead of an approaching thunderstorm and the princess was trying to keep up with him, he suddenly stopped. Against the rumble of the thunder, he told her that he loved another. And he left her, though she called after him with many tears; and he entered a rude peasant hut and took into his arms the auburn-haired peasant-girl that he loved. And he kissed her there, as he had never kissed before.

And the princess stood out in the whipping wind alone. And the rain poured down, soaking her fancy silks and mingling with the bitter tears that poured from her eyes. Then the picture on the screen darkened, the credits began to roll, and it was done.

The audience applauded, and the lights came up. When they did, the actors began to rise, and the applause grew louder. And then they all began to leave. The premiere showing of the movie was over, and now they would head over to the Tokyo Hilton for the party – which was what they were all really interested in, anyway. But as the crowd began to leave, Fujiwara Zakuro told the Senshi to stay a second.

The girls did not like this much; they did not like this Zakuro thinking that she could tell them what to do. But Makoto was staying, and they were with Makoto, so they stayed while the rest of the people left. In just a minute or two they were alone, standing by their seats.

Zakuro spoke to them in a low but earnest voice. "Girls, please listen. I was against you coming, but Makoto-chan insisted, and this is her night. But girls, please. You're all so very young, and you've probably never been to anything like this party. There will be a lot of alcohol, and a lot of people drinking too much alcohol, and no one will be asking you if you are under-age. There will be a lot of people who have been doing drugs, too – that's the way it is with a lot of the movie people. I hope they won't be smoking dope at the party, but with some of these people, you never know. And there are plenty of guys that would love to hit on you, and they will. There are a lot of dirty old men in this business that would love to score some sweet, young innocent like you girls."

Minako whispered disdainfully, "Innocent? She obviously doesn't know you, Rei." She smirked.

"At least I don't _dress_ like a cheap hooker," Rei whispered back.

And Makoto shot a look at them both, and that silenced them – for a minute or two, anyway.

* * *

From there they made their way out, and the limousine was waiting for them. There were several photographers trying to get shots of the new actress, of tall, auburn-haired Kino Makoto. But they were having difficulty getting their pictures, because Minako kept getting in the way of every one of them. Except when she was hiding her identity as one of the Senshi, she had always been dear friends with every camera that appeared anywhere; but it was especially true that night, when she was trying so hard to be discovered. And there were several photographers who stole a few shots of Usagi, whose beauty was breathtaking when she was transformed into Princess Serenity. Ami and Rei seemed to receive little if any attention. Ami pretended that it did not bother her that she did not, and indeed pretended not even to notice that the photographers ignored her; but of course it did bother her, far more than she would ever admit. Rei pretended nothing. It offended her immensely that she was getting so little attention, and she did nothing to hide how disturbed she was; her dark eyes flashed with anger and disdain toward the photographers. That got her a shot or two, which was not a bad thing as far as Rei was concerned. She knew that bad publicity was better than no publicity at all.

Yet finally they made it to the limo, and the driver let them in. Once inside, they could speak more freely, and it was Minako that spoke first. "Well! That Zakuro tramp really thinks she's Queen Sh*t of the Universe, doesn't she? She thinks she's the boss of everybody, lecturing us like that."

Makoto's voice growled. "Watch it, Minako. She's my friend…"

"Oh!" Minako came back, her voice rising. "Ex-cuuuuse me! Well, she may be your friend, but she's our enemy. And I guess we all see now whose side you're on…"

Ami's voice broke in, ignoring the squabble between the other two girls. She was once again trying to keep the peace among the Senshi. "Well, what did you think of the film?" Ami always tried to look classy, so the called the movie a "film."

"It was wonderful!" Usagi sighed. "Soooooo romantic!"

Rei scowled. "You would say something like that," she said to Usagi.

"So what did you think of it, then?" Usagi came back.

Rei was quiet for a while, at least pretending to think about the movie. So Usagi demanded, "Come on, out with it! What did you think?"

Rei's act was not very good, and the others could see that she was putting on a face. "Well, I… don't like those so-called historical dramas. I always think they're a bit silly, because everyone knows that history was not like that."

"But you like shows with lots of kung-fu fighting!" Usagi said. "And this show was full of it."

"And pretty well-faked king-fu fighting, I suppose," Rei said. "And… the music wasn't bad at all." She then grew quiet. She had obviously not mentioned Makoto's role in the movie.

After many uncomfortable seconds, Makoto asked, "Well, girls, what did you think… of my acting? My role?"

There were more uncomfortable seconds, but then Usagi chirped, "You were in the movie? I didn't notice… was there anyone else in the movie besides Ota Hideki?"

The girls giggled. Once again Usagi had broken the ice with her silliness.

Then Ami said, "Well, I think you did fine, especially for your first movie." Ami was a very bad liar, and they all noticed.

They grew uncomfortably quiet again, and Makoto spoke once more. "Minako-chan, you are supposed to be the one of us who has the talent, the one who will be an idol some day. What did you think of… how I did?"

The blonde was silent for several seconds, to make sure all of the others would concentrate on her pronouncement. "I think… I think you did better in the fight scene with that Mew Mew whore. I think you looked a little stiff and uncomfortable in the kissing scenes with Hideki-sama." She grew quiet, apparently content to damn Makoto with faint praise.

"Well, I thought you did really well, and no one would have known you were new just by watching the movie," Usagi said. She was very naïve in many ways, but she did not like it when any of her Senshi were put down, even by other Senshi. Of course, she made an exception for that when she was squabbling with Rei.

Then Rei reached out and touched Makoto's shoulder gently. "Don't worry, big girl," she said earnestly. "You did as well as anyone could have expected. First movie, no acting lessons, and playing with stars like Hideki-sama and that Zakuro geek." She paused for several seconds. "When Hideki-sama dumped the geek and kissed you, there wasn't a dry eye in the place. You won the audience over that skinny bitch, and that means you were a success. It looks like the reign of the great idol Zakuro is coming to an end."

The others looked at Rei with awe. Her comment had been so perceptive, and so kind to Makoto, that the others felt they had nothing more to say; and the last minute or two before the limo reached its destination were silent.

* * *

_Author's note: Yes, this is another chapter with little action. But I had to set up what will happen later at the premiere party. And it has been too long since the last chapter was published, and I have to get something out._

_Kyoto was the capital of Japan (the emperor's residence) for about a thousand years. However, from about 1192 through 1868 the de facto ruler of Japan was the top military commander, or Shogun. During the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868) the shoguns lived in Edo. In 1868 the emperor took control from the Shogun and moved from Kyoto to Edo. He changed the name of Edo to Tokyo, which is why Tokyo is the capital of Japan today. Since Zakuro's princess-character was a member of the emperor's family, she lived in Kyoto, which is why the movie begins there and not in Tokyo. _

_Some readers might not be happy with the way I have Minako dressing, and trying to hog the limelight, and so forth. In the original Sailor Moon anime, Minako was an idol-wannabe. (In the live-action series she was literally an idol.) She entered idol competitions in episode 113 (in year 3, Sailor Moon S) and again in episode 192 (in year 5, Sailor Stars). In the second instance, she wore an outfit that could only be described as weird, loud, and garish to the extreme. In this current story she does not have any serious Senshi duties to keep her from going all-out to realize her dream of becoming an idol, so she dresses in the loud, garish dress and tries to hog all of the pictures._


	6. Chapter 6: Sixteen Will Get You Twenty

**Chapter 6: Sixteen Will Get You Twenty**

A minute or two later the limousine pulled up in front of the Tokyo Hilton. The driver opened the door for them, and one by one they stepped out – into a sea of flashing cameras. Apparently the new girl that played in the movie was generating a lot of interest. The Senshi gathered together in a knot and headed for the door, smiling as well as they could and nodding to the paparazzi as they went. It made them all feel a bit uncomfortable, except for Minako, of course. She was still the best friend of every camera, and more than once she angered a photographer by "accidentally" getting in the way when someone was trying to get a shot of Makoto. Finally an exasperated photographer half-shouted, "Hey, blondie, get outta the way, will ya?"

"Well! I never!" Minako barked back, getting in the photographer's face. It was a man, one not too tall, and Minako lit into him with a string of insults. And maybe she was insulted; but the others were quite embarrassed, especially Makoto. Zakuro had warned her that her friends might not be mature enough for this sort of thing. She had been worried primarily about Usagi, but it was Minako that was making fools of them all. Still, Makoto said nothing, but headed for the door, and the others followed her – even, eventually, Minako.

They entered the great hotel and stepped into the grand foyer. And all of them gasped and stared around, for not one of them had ever been to such a place. The room was huge, and fully three stories tall. The lights glittered off polished surfaces everywhere, and in the center of it all was an artificial waterfall. They would have simply stopped and gawked, but Makoto kept them going. She had never been in such a fancy and expensive place, either; but Zakuro had given her careful instructions for getting to the room of their great celebration. It was on the first floor, towards the back of the place, and there Makoto led them. And as she pushed out in front of the other girls, the flashing of the paparazzi cameras redoubled.

Yet they made it through it all, and finally arrived at the grand room where the premiere party would be held. The entry was guarded, supposedly to keep out the paparazzi, though of course those nosy characters would find a way in anyway. They were checking for passes at the entrance. Makoto could get in without one, of course. Rei, Minako, and Ami quickly showed their passes, and were admitted. But to no one's surprise, Usagi's invitation seemed missing.

That should not have mattered, since she was in the group with Makoto, but a particularly officious female guard in a maroon jacket refused her anyway. Usagi, as usual, went quickly into a major panic, and would have burst fully into tears had not Makoto come to the rescue. She poked the guard in the shoulder and stated, "She's with me."

But the pompous guard would not budge an inch. "No invitation, no entrance," she said.

Tears began to flow from Usagi's eyes, but Makoto stood before the guard and seized the front of her shirt with her left hand. "Listen, you fool. You let her in, or you'll be picking up your teeth from the floor. Get it? And you know very well it's not me that will get in trouble over that." She cocked her right fist.

The paparazzi closed in, snapping pictures and taking videos of the confrontation. And the guard knew she was in trouble. Makoto was the star of the night. So the guard swallowed hard, and nodded; and Makoto said, "Good. You aren't quite as dumb as I thought." And the girls all passed through the wide, massively-decorated double doors that led to the grand ballroom.

Usagi then caught up with Makoto, and asked breathlessly, "Would you have really hit her?"

A twisted smile curled the big girl's lips. "No, and she would not have kept you out. She was just looking for attention. And so was I."

The others looked puzzled. "Zakuro-san taught me more than how to act," Makoto explained. "When you're at one of these things, everybody has an act on, all the time. Everyone's trying to impress everybody, and none of it is real. The picture of me grabbing that pompous fool's shirt will be all over the tabloids. And people will see that, and say, 'Oooooh…' It will get me lots of attention, and help define my public image."

"Do you want them to think you're a tough?" Ami asked. She was a very smart girl when it came to book-learning, but was completely clueless about things like how celebrities play-acted their public lives.

Once again Makoto's lips twisted in the strange smile. "But Ami, my dear," she said in a low voice, "I _am_ a tough. The toughest of them all, really."

Ami stared at her, completely puzzled. But the other girls just smiled and looked around them. And what they saw took their breath away.

Glittering chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating incredibly expensive decorations throughout the room. But it was not the decorations that really impressed the girls. It was the guests who shone most brightly. Filling the great room were men and women dressed as well as anyone could dress, the men handsome, the women beautiful as only movie people seemed to be, wearing fabulously expensive gowns and obscenely expensive jewelry. Indeed, the Senshi, though they were wearing the best gowns they had ever worn, felt poor and shabby in such company.

But before they could feel rustic and foolish, a waiter stepped up bearing a silver tray of tall goblets filled with a liquid of pale amber. "Champagne, ladies?" he offered.

Ami was closest to him, and she hesitated. But Minako stepped up, and said, "Of course, good sir"; and she took one. Then the others followed her, and each of them took a goblet; and each of them took a sip. Though they were trying to act sophisticated, it was the first time that any of them had tried champagne.

And most of them did not like it. Makoto pursed her lips when the sour, dry wine touched her palate. Ami made no face, but raised the goblet a little after tasting and stared at the tiny bubbles rising through the amber. Rei's eyes opened wide for a second when she tasted the stuff, before she regained control of herself and put on her version of a sophisticated face. And Usagi openly made a face when she tasted how sour it was. Usagi liked sweets only, and cared not a bit about looking sophisticated.

Then the girls, still in their group, advanced into the room, and a large, overweight, far-from-young man approached them. He spoke to Makoto: "Kino-san, you look fine tonight." Makoto made some small talk with him, and introduced the others to him before asking, "Fuso-sama, what did you think of the mov… of the film, I mean?"

The fat man shrugged. "What do I know about movies?" He did not call it a 'film.' "At my age all I notice is the fan service, and I don't pay much attention to that. It seemed that the audience liked it, though. Should make money. Should make good money, I think. Good job, Kino-san." The words praised Makoto, but not a hint of a smile touched the man's lips before he bowed and moved on.

"Who was that old coot?" Minako asked. She clearly found the fat man offensive.

Makoto shook her head. "That old man," she said quietly, "is Fuso Tamiechi-sama. He's the big money behind the production, so everyone has to be nice to him. If this mov… this film does well and makes the money he thinks it'll make, he'll probably put up for another."

"He seems to be a jerk," Rei whispered. Rei was by far the most judgmental of the Senshi, but she knew enough to keep her voice down.

Makoto shook her head again. "No. A jerk has a personality, just an ugly one. Fuso-sama has less personality than a brick." She smiled a little before continuing, "Hey, come with me over there." She led the other Senshi across the room.

There tall Fujiwara Zakuro stood, holding a goblet of champagne and talking with a rather long-haired man. They noticed the Senshi approaching, and turned to meet them.

"Zakuro-sama," Makoto said, bowing low. Then she turned to the man. "Ohara-sama." She bowed again.

The dark-haired actress bowed low as well, but the man only nodded. "Makoto-san," Zakuro said.

And then the man asked, "And who are these lovely ladies?" His eyes swept over the Senshi.

Makoto spoke again. "These with me are my friends. Hino Rei, Aino Minko, Mizuno Ami…" She paused for effect. "… and Tsukino Usagi." She turned to the man and said, "And this, girls, is Ohara Saburo-san, the director of _The Samurai's Kiss._"

The man stood silently for a couple of seconds, his eyes again examining the new girls. But Makoto's pronouncement that he was director brought a quick response from Minako. She pushed forward and approached the man.

"Are you _really _Ohara Saburo?" she gushed. "You have to be the best director in all of Japan! I've seen so many of your films! You really have a magical touch when it comes to directing!"

The man smiled a very twisted smile. He was used to actors, and he could see that Minako was acting; and her acting was very bad. So he asked, "Really? And which of my films was your favorite?"

Minako of course could not have named another. But she appeared to think for a second, and then she said, smiling broadly, "Tonight's film. _The Samurai's Kiss._" She nodded as she said it. She had no way of knowing, of course, that Ohara had not liked what had been made of that movie, and had been forced into doing what he did by the financier Fuso's threats.

Yet the director nodded. "Good answer," he said. "Way to think on your feet." He winked. The other Senshi did not understand why, but Minako certainly did. Then he turned and headed away, but Minako followed him. She was going to be discovered that evening – by hook or by crook.

Then Usagi left the group. Her sharp eyes spied the buffet table, and on it were sweets – seemingly endless varieties of sweets in endless amounts. Usagi was drawn to sweets like a moth to flame, only much faster. A quick glide over, and she placed the sour champagne down on the table, and began pounding down the pastries.

"Someday, that girl's going to look like the Bridgestone Blimp," Rei muttered. Actually, Rei also loved sweets, and was quite envious of Usagi's ability to eat so many of them without getting fat.

Then Rei stopped speaking. She noticed Ami, and Ami was staring, her huge eyes filled with a combination of fear, awe, and absolute ecstasy. "What's wrong?" Rei demanded.

Ami slowly pointed her finger. "It's… it's… it's _Ota Hideki-sama!"_ For a second it looked as if she was going to faint.

The other girls looked where she was pointing, and there he was, in all his glory. He wore tight black pants and a very open white shirt, and a gold chain was around his neck. His hair was dark and just reached over his ears. His body was slender and obviously in top physical shape. His dark eyes were huge and wonderfully expressive, and the features of his face were exquisitely fine.

His eyes caught sight of Makoto and the bevy of attractive girls with her, and he sauntered over.

"Makoto-san!" he said, smiling warmly; and he gave her a small kiss. "It's good, isn't it? The film, I mean."

Makoto smiled in return. "I hope so, Ota-san," she said, her voice much lower than the actor's. Then she turned to her companions. "Ah, these are my friends: Hino Rei and Mizuno Ami." Minako was still in pursuit of the director, determined to be discovered, and Usagi was still mounting her assault of the buffet table.

The girls bowed slightly, and each smiled as her name was given. Then she turned back to the handsome actor. "And this is Ota Hideki-sama."

"I know…" Ami sighed. She again looked as if she were going to faint.

Just then Minako came rushing back. She had seen Ota Hideki approach her friends and was not about to miss another chance to be discovered. "Hi, girls," she called, a little too loudly, making sure that she was noticed.

Makoto was taken a bit by surprise, but she recovered quickly. "And this is Sai…" She caught herself before she said too much, and said, "And this is Aino Minako."

The actor greeted the new arrival, and his eyes swept over the bevy of beauties. For all of the Senshi were, indeed, beautiful: Ami, slender and classy in her demure dress, with such a sweet smile; Rei, dark, mysterious, seemingly dangerous, yet overtly sexy; Minako, blonde and smiling with her daringly-revealing dress; and Makoto herself, tall, strong, and shapely to a fault, with her sparkling green eyes and perky auburn ponytail. All the girls realized that at that moment they were in an audition, in competition with each other for the attentions of the hottest guy any of them had ever seen. And friends though they were, they could all feel that competition in their hearts. And to put it mildly, the other three did not appreciate the way that Minako pushed herself forward and got close to him, even bumping up against him a little.

But his eyes turned from the pushy Minako and looked beyond the girls. "And who is this?" he asked.

The girls turned, and they saw Usagi gliding up behind them. Transformed as she was, she was a vision of beauty. Her dress covered more than Makoto's did, quite a bit more than Rei's, and far more than Minako's. Yet it seemed so much more revealing, its diaphanous, sheer material inviting the eye to try to see through it, though it could not. Her eyes were no larger than those of the other Senshi, but they seemed brighter. Her hair, with its ridiculous pigtails nearly reaching the floor, seemed divine rather than foolishly, childishly human. And her smile warmed the world. She glided over, and next to her, the rest of the Senshi seemed plain, so plain.

Each of the other Senshi felt a nasty ache in her heart, the ache of envy and jealousy. But Makoto kept, or nearly kept, her voice bright as she said, "This is Tsukino Usagi-san. Usagi, this is Ota Hideki-sama."

Ota bowed to her. Then, straightening up, he smiled. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Usagi-sama." The others instantly noticed that he had not greeted them by their first names, and had not referred to them with the _sama_ honorific.

Rei suddenly smiled and suppressed a giggle. Usagi, coming straight from her conquest of the buffet table, had a small dab of whipped cream on her nose. Rei should have been embarrassed for her friend, but instead she thought that it would serve Usagi right to appear to be such a fool. After all, she already had Mamoru! She didn't need attention from this actor. And besides, with her out of the picture, there would be one less competitor for Rei.

But Ota Hideki took a step forward, and reaching out, wiped his forefinger over Usagi's nose. "And what is this?" he asked smiling. He placed it in his mouth. "Sweet!" he said. "Do you like sweets?"

He was clearly speaking to Usagi, and Rei gritted her teeth. It wasn't fair! He had touched her! And then he asked, "Usagi, could you turn around for me?"

The Moon Princess turned around, and the handsome actor mumbled, half to himself, "Nice buns." Then he perhaps realized that he was offending the other girls, so he added, "Your hair, I mean. The buns…"

"Yeah, right," Rei muttered under her breath. Then she spoke aloud, "Usagi, is Mamoru going to show up later?"

The effort was transparent, and Ota Hideki just smiled at the dark-eyed girl's feeble effort to deflect him from his interest in Usagi. He ignored Rei, and repeated his question to Usagi, "I asked before: do you like sweets?"

"A little," Usagi lied. "But mostly, I don't like sours. Like that champagne stuff. I always heard so much about it, but when I tried it, I didn't like it much."

"Really?" the actor came back. "I'm quite sure that for a party like this, they ordered really good champagne. But then, come to think of it, the more expensive champagnes are the drier ones. To you, they would seem more sour. I suppose you don't have much experience with expensive champagne?"

"Only a little," Usagi lied again. Of course, she thought, it wasn't really a lie. She _did_ have a little experience with expensive champagne – that very night.

"There are some much sweeter drinks over there," he said, pointing to his left. "Did you ever try margaritas?"

"What's margaritas?" Usagi asked, forgetting that she was trying to look sophisticated.

"Come and see," he said. Then, to the other Senshi, he continued, "Well, ladies, I'll be seeing you around." He bowed, extended his arm to Usagi, and led her away.

The others were left standing. Poor Ami turned away from the others. Tears were leaking out of her eyes, and she did not want the others to see that. Boys never paid much attention to her, and now, when she had finally met her secret heartthrob, he had not even noticed her existence. Rei ground her teeth and muttered bitterly, "That Usagi! Did she completely forget about Mamoru? Well, I suppose that when the cat's away, the mice will play, as they say." Makoto just shook her head. She had been able to kiss the famous idol in the movie, and she had secretly dreamed that it had meant something to him. How wrong she was, again. She was always wrong about guys, she thought.

But Minako was the most angry of all. She planted her hands on her hips and stared after the departing couple, her eyes hurling daggers of anger into their backs. "Well, I never!" she spat out through clenched teeth. Her chance to be discovered was quickly departing with that airhead Usagi. And she decided that she would not let this one get away. It would be only a matter of a very short time before Usagi's foolishness would turn off the famous idol, and then he would be available. And she was sure that he would not be able to ignore the Senshi of love and beauty. She would find him, and he would fall into her arms. She was sure!

* * *

"Well, what do you think of it?" Hideki asked, smiling.

Usagi lowered the glass from her lips. "Sweet!" she said, her great smile beaming. "Way better than that champagne. What do you call this again?"

"Mar-gar-i-ta," the idol replied.

Usagi was drinking hers through the little straw that is always put into a blended margarita, and she took another long pull from that. Then she said, "That isn't Japanese, to be sure. Is it American or something? They seem to get all the good stuff over there."

"Actually, it's Mexican," Hideki said, still smiling. "And margaritas come in many flavors. The one you have is a standard lime margarita. Some kinds are a lot sweeter than that one."

"Really?" Usagi said. She had just finished off the drink. "How sweet are they?"

"Well, we'll just have to see!" the handsome actor said. And so Usagi had a strawberry margarita, and then a peach one. And indeed, they were sweeter than the first.

Then Usagi's eyes spied a punch bowl of filled with a pinkish liquid and ice cubes. "Is that another kind of, er, mar-gar, whatever, Mexican stuff?" She slurred the words quite badly.

Hideki's smile twisted. "That? That is called 'hop, skip, and go naked.'"

"Is it good?" Usagi asked.

"Very!" the actor said. "But it's strong!"

"Do you really want me to go naked?" Usagi giggled.

"Well, that's your choice, isn't it?" the man responded.

And so Usagi had some. She poured it down quickly. "Wow, that's good!" she said. "Different, but good!" She was slurring all of her words by that point.

She reached for the ladle in the punch bowl, but the idol took her hand. "Don't you think you've had enough for a while?" he asked, still showing his glorious smile.

Usagi's face twisted into a pout. "But it's good!" Then her face fell a little. "But maybe… you're right. No more for a while."

"Don't you think you need a little fresh air?" the man asked.

Usagi responded, "I suppose…"

And Hideki took her arm and led her across the room. Usagi was a little unsteady on her feet, and leaned on him as they walked. To those in the room it looked as if they were a couple in love, holding tightly to each other as they walked. They crossed the room slowly. Ota Hideki was not aware that he was holding the Princess of the Moon in his arms, but he was fully aware that eyes were on him as he held the most glorious beauty in the room as he walked, and that many photos of him holding the beautiful girl would appear in the tabloids. They reached the great double doors and passed through them.

As soon as they reached the great foyer and the ceiling stretched far above them, they seemed more alone and comfortable, even though there were several people about. The man directed Usagi's steps, and they turned from the straight path they were walking, and stepped behind the artificial waterfall. It was darker there, and they seemed alone.

They stopped there in the relative silence. The idol slipped out of Usagi's grip and turned to face her. He stared deeply into her glorious eyes. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he whispered. His hands embraced her hips and slid up to her waist.

Usagi felt quite uncomfortable. Something wasn't right, she knew in some corner of her alcohol-fogged brain. But he was so handsome, so beautiful…

He pulled her body against his. Her hands were on him now, and they felt the long, hard muscles of his back. He was so much more attractive than Mamoru, and he treated her so much better! Mamoru never called her beautiful, much less the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Mamoru took her for granted. And so often he treated her as if she were a lazy, spoiled child! Hideki was treating her as she deserved. Yet, somewhere in her heart, Usagi felt something, that this was not quite right. And she began to speak. "But Mamo-ch…"

His finger touched her lips, and that silenced her. He just stared deeply into her eyes, and Usagi lost herself staring into those luscious pools of dark mystery. Then his finger moved from her lips to her cheek, and then around her neck as he pulled her to himself. Her lips opened to his, and his lips engulfed hers.

Long they kissed. Usagi experienced a kiss the likes of which she had never felt. He was a far better kisser than Mamoru had been. His kiss was far more sensuous, far more expressive, far more filled with love and desire. She kissed him with burning passion.

And the idol, too, experienced the magic of the moment. For though he had kissed hundreds of women, he had never felt one that kissed like this. He held Usagi's magnificent body against his and his hands felt the soft fullness of the young as they held her. And her kiss was so perfect, so full of desire, so enticing to him that he nearly burst with burning desire. The others he had kissed were merely human; this kiss seemed truly divine. His kisses moved from her lips down her long and slender neck, and down upon her soft and enticing bosom…

Then a harsh voice interrupted it all with an ugly suddenness. "Ota Hideki," it said with a rather disgusted, chiding tone. Startled, they looked to the side, and there stood Fujiwara Zakuro. "I would think that someone in your position would know better," she said scornfully.

"Zakuro-san!" the idol said smoothly, as if he had not been startled. "I really don't think this is any of your business. Or are you just jealous?"

The dark-haired woman ignored what he said. She just spoke, as much to the girl as to the man. "You know, I lived in America for a while when I was young. They had a saying there, 'Sixteen will get you twenty.' Bang a sixteen-year-old, and they can put you away for a long time." She paused for a few seconds, and then spoke without the scorn. "She's barely sixteen, Ota-san."

Ota responded, the smoothness of his voice replaced by irritation. "This is Japan, not America."

"This is Tokyo. And you know the age here," Zakuro said. Then, without another word, she turned away.

"You'll pay for this, Fujiwara!" Ota muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. But the tall girl walked away, and again they were alone.

Usagi had not completely caught on to all that was happening, and she tried to open her lips to the man's kiss again. But again he touched her lips with his finger. "Are you really just sixteen?" he asked.

Her face twisted into a sexy pout. "Well, sure. But I'm a woman, and you're a man, and…" Her words faded away, and she tried to kiss him again.

Ota's mind was spinning as he made the calculations. She was sixteen, and he had gotten her drunk, and there was at least one witness that knew that he knew that she was under-age. If he finished what he had started, it could land him in quite serious trouble. But it would also enhance his bad-boy image, and raise the desires of several million of his fangirls. That would sell more movie tickets and bring in a lot more money, and a lot more… opportunities. And she was so divinely beautiful, so sensuous, so unbelievably desirable…

He wondered, for a second, if there could be a way to get her into one of those rural prefectures where the age was still thirteen. But there certainly wasn't a way to get her there that night. So he sighed, and shook his head. "I think that's enough for tonight," he said. "I fear that we would lose control of the situation, and, you know…" Actually, Usagi had lost control of the situation long before.

Once again she pouted; but he ignored that, gave her one last quick kiss, and began walking her back to the grand party room. And that should have been the end of things, except for the awful way Usagi would feel the next morning.

But as they turned and walked away, another they had not seen lowered her cell phone and carefully saved the video she had taken. There were ways, she knew, of sending emails, and attached videos, anonymously. And she knew where this video had to go.

**Section Break  
**

_Author's notes:  
_

_The national age of consent in Japan is 13. (That is a traditional age, based on the age of puberty.) However, most prefectures have higher ages of consent. In Tokyo the age is 17. So Ota Hideki could have been in serious trouble if he completed his seduction of Usagi – particularly since he got her drunk in order to seduce her._

_As for the "Bridgestone Blimp"— Bridgestone is a large Japanese tire company. It has an English-language name because when it was founded (1931), "made in Japan" had a bad reputation, so it was given the English translation of the founder's name. But a "Bridgestone Blimp" would be the Japanese equivalent of what the Goodyear Blimp would be for an American, except that I don't think Bridgestone has any blimps._

_As for "Hop, Skip, and Go Naked" – yes, it exists, probably under various names. It is a party punch that hides its high alcohol content under other flavors so people don't realize how much alcohol they are consuming. As such, using it can lead to drunkenness very quickly._


End file.
